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Chapter 20: Up in Flames - Isolde
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 21: On the Run - Isolde
The pain becomes too much, and I begin to scream and wail; agony ripping through my body like knives as images of my family trapped inside, screaming for their lives filter through my mind, and me nowhere to be seen. I failed to protect them. I was meant to be their protector and I let them down. My mother, my father, my sweet little sister and my uncle… my uncle. I look over at Manon, hatred and disgust burning through me hotter than the flames burning my world to the ground, “You killed your own animai. He was a good man who did nothing but love you!” I shout. “A weak, pathetic man who stood in my way. You were gifted power you don’t deserve, that power should be mine, and no animai was going to stand in my way. I will endure the pain of his death because it frees me of our bond,” she says with dark satisfaction. “If you wanted to kill me, then you should have just killed me. They were innocent!” “Collateral damage. I couldn’t risk them saving you, and yet here you are, the thor
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 22: You - Isolde
I wipe away the tears that slide down my cheeks and try to take in air as I lean back against the tree. Valeria is silent beside me, but scoots closer and wraps her arm around me, bringing my head down to her shoulder, consoling me as I had done for her earlier. I breathe her in and let our proximity bring me comfort, and slowly it becomes easier to breathe. “I’ve never told anyone that story,” I whisper. “Not anyone?” She asks sadly. I shake my head, “Most people fear me or just won’t give me the chance to plead my case. Others attack first, just wanting to be the one to kill me.” Valeria tightens her hold on me, “I’m so sorry, Izzy.” My head snaps up and tears once again pool in my eyes, “What did you just call me?” “Sorry, that was rude to just go giving you a nickname. It just kind of slipped out,” she says apologetically. “No, I’m not mad. My little sister used to call me ‘Izzy’. No one has called me that since she died,” I say sadly, “It was nice to hear, honestly,” I smi
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 23: Found - Valeria
I must have fallen asleep on the couch because I’m suddenly woken up by the sound of a scream. I’ve heard more than my fair share of screams in my life, having been the cause of most of them, but this one sent a chill through my spine, straight to the core of my very being, and instantly made my stomach drop. Adrenaline pumps through me and I immediately become alert. I leap off the couch and run to the sound of Isolde's screams. I find her on the kitchen floor clutching her chest with her face contorted in pain. The sight of it has fear propelling through me in a way I’ve never felt before and I drop to my knees sliding across the tiles and cup her face in my hands, feeling that familiar static shoot through me. My instinct right now is to panic, but I push it down and try to remain calm as I let my training take over and quickly scan the room for any signs of an attacker. “Izzy? Izzy, speak to me, what’s happening?” I urge her to answer, as she struggles to gasp for air. I should
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 24: A Goddess's Final Act - Valeria
I follow her as we make our way upstairs. “Fretez was killed by Azadou, he was known as the Demon God, but he wasn’t like the other Gods.” “How so?” I used to love my mother telling me stories about the supernatural world, but now I know most of them are all bullshit. However, I have come to love Isolde’s stories a million times more. When my mother told me stories, it was from an outsider's perspective, full of hate and lies and like some bad version of Chinese Whispers. But Isolde speaks with truth, knowledge, and passion. This is her history and the history of supernaturals like her. I’m understanding among her kind, a High Priest and Priestess aren’t just super powerful, they’re keepers of knowledge, passing it from one generation to the next to help them. Keeping the past alive in order to safeguard the future. It’s this mind-blowing rich culture with an intricate tapestry of their history, and it pains me to know I spent my life trying to snuff it out. “As I’ve told you, each
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 25: Gold Star Gay - Isolde
“Hey, wait for me!” I shout, quickly wrapping the tablet back in the cloth and locking it back in the chest. I race after Valeria with great difficulty since this stupid bullet graze continues to restrict some of my movements, I think it went a little deeper than originally thought. I really need to ask Alaric to heal it at some point, even though I hate asking him for help. I catch up to Valeria who smirks her sexy smirk at me. Thankfully she’s not mad at me anymore, which is a huge relief. I nearly called her my animai and would have had to go into the whole explanation that our souls are magically bonded, and I’m just not ready for that. As far as she has come and as open-minded as she is becoming these days, I’m scared the moment she learns magic is responsible for this connection we have, she’ll become enraged and leave me. A week ago I planned to reject her and now the thought of her running away terrifies me. Valeria is the first good thing to happen in my life in centuries, a
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 26: Touch Me - Isolde
I’m trying to use the rational part of my brain, but it’s really hard when I have this stunning beauty on top of me in nothing but a damn towel and all I want to do is touch and taste every inch of her. “Valeria…” I start to say but she firmly presses her lips against mine, and I find myself gripping her hips and moaning against her lips. “I want you to touch me,” she whispers against my lips. Fuck, how am I supposed to turn that down? My soulmate is on top of me giving me permission to explore her body and Gods do I want to. I want to know every inch of her. I want to find every spot on her body that makes her sing and help her discover things she never knew about herself. She was made for me. I want to show her how no one will ever be able to touch her the way I can. I flip her on her back and nestle myself between her legs, looking straight into those gorgeous honey-brown eyes I’ve come to love so much. I keep my eyes on hers as I slowly trail my fingertips lightly up from the t
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 27: A Creepy Glamour - Isolde
“I totally got us off track, didn’t I?”I chuckle, “A little, but it was worth it.” I kiss her and reluctantly roll off her.She sighs and sits up grabbing her towel. She gets up and uses the towel to clean herself up. Remind me not to ever turn her on around people with advanced senses of smell. I don’t want anyone smelling my woman’s arousal.Valeria dumps the towel on the floor and faces me in all her naked glory with her hands on her hips, “Okay, dress me.” I slowly sit up and rake my eyes over every curve of her body. Fuck dressing her, right now I just want her to ride my face. “Hello, earth to Izzy,” she says, waving her hands in front of my face.“Huh?” I say, snapping out of my erotic thoughts.She smirks, “I know I look amazing, but you can’t keep me naked forever.”“I actually could you know.”Valeria straightens up and just stares at me before shaking her head, “Okay, so as erotic as that sounds, we have a missing prophecy to go find, so do your magic thing and get me dres
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 28: Atlesper - Isolde
Once we’ve stepped through the portal I close it behind us and watch as a look of wonder comes over Valeria’s face. I just stare at her, committing the way she looks to memory. A few days ago this was all something she demonstrated detest for, but now she’s embracing everything, and as she does, it rejuvenates my love for magic and this beautiful magical world I’ve been born into. “This is Atlesper?” She asks in awe. I smile and nod as I look around the marketplace. Bodegas line the pristine limestone cobbled streets as people gather, converse and shop. Everything feels light and carefree. Everyone is happy and everything is bustling with activity. It’s been a long time since I’ve been here, but nothing seems to have changed. “What do you think?” I ask. “It’s beautiful,” she says with a wide smile as she looks around at all the tall buildings, “I feel like I’ve stepped into another time. Like I’m in some ancient kingdom, except everyone is wearing modern clothes.” “Not far off th
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A Queen Among Darkness Author's Note About The Series
Thank you to everyone who has joined me for another instalment in the Queen Among series. I have enjoyed all of your comments with each passing day and they continue to keep me motivated when I struggle to find a reason why I should. Seeing you all connect with the story and characters truly touches me. I truly hope that if you are in the mood you will consider donating gems, and most importantly, leaving a review of this book on the book's main page. It would do me and my book a huge favour and will also allow me to hear your thoughts on the story. It is you who determine the success of these books, so I can't do this without you. These stories need you. Speaking of stories... Here is a breakdown of the series so far, what currently exists and what is to come! Currently Available: Book 1 - A Queen Among Alphas (completed and also available on paperback) Book 2 - A Queen Among Snakes (completed and coming soon to paperback) [paperback and merch giveaway will correspond with the b
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 74: The Prophecy - Isolde
I storm into the house with Valeria right on my heels, my mind still utterly flabbergasted by what just happened. “A paperweight!” I shout in annoyed disbelief. “I know, baby,” Valeria says, closing the door behind us and placing her gun on the table by the door. “I spend my entire life scouring the earth looking for this, thinking maybe it’s in some vault as a prized possession or buried deep within the earth. I thought of so many scenarios as to where this might be hidden, but at no point in time did I think it was just casually sitting on someone’s desk as a fucking paperweight!” I screech. “Tell me how you really feel,” she teases. “How do you mistake something that clearly appears to have an ancient language carved into it for something as common as a paperweight?!” I continue to rant, but I can feel amusement bubbling inside Valeria, and I can tell from her face she’s trying not to laugh. “This isn’t funny, Val!” “Oh, I agree your struggle and the disrespect shown to this
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 73: A New Home - Isolde
We step out into a long two-story hall. A teal-coloured carpet lays beneath our feet and runs down the length of the hall leading up a small staircase to a platform with two ornate and delicate-looking thrones that appear to be made from the world’s most durable coral. At first glance, the coral looks peach in colour but as the light catches it, it shifts into different colours. To the sides of the thrones are two gargantuan statues depicting the God Ezillus. The statue to the right depicts them in feminine regalia, and the statue on the left depicts them in masculine regalia. A clear tribute to Ezillus’ embodiment of all things masculine, feminine and everything in between. Behind the throne are three full-length curved windows with gold detailing worked into the glass. The vaulted ceiling above us houses several chandeliers covered in pearls, running down the length of the ceiling. The sides of the room are separated by Mihrab-arched columns running down each side, with coral and pe
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 72: Bowing Before Light - Isolde
Standing in the entrance hall of the Kartheca, I watch as Valeria continues to pace back and forth as the creases on her forehead begin to permanently set in. I can feel the agitation rising inside her the longer we wait. I know being here is unpleasant for her. I did tell her she didn’t have to come, but she made it clear that wasn’t an option. As she begins her umpteenth trip from one side of the room to the other, I pull on my magic and fan my fingers out causing her feet to get stuck to the marble floor of the hallway. “¡No mames!” She exclaims nearly toppling forward and assessing her feet. She looks up at me and narrows her eyes then proceeds to throw some very colourful Mexican swear words at me, some I can’t even translate. Something about a donkey? I’ll have to get a translation on that later. I walk over and cup her face in my hands feeling the zing of our bond through my fingertips, “Stop and take a breath. I know you’re agitated, but we won’t be here long. I promise,” I
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 71: In A Moonlit Forest - Valeria
With Izzy not here to act as a buffer, I excuse myself and go for a wander. Izzy ran inside excited about something, and I’m curious what that something might be. She told me that marked animais can see into each other’s eyes, but I’m not quite sure how to do that, and I can tell how much she wants to surprise me, so I’ll let her. I brace my hand against a nearby tree, take off my heels, and make my way into the woods just so I can have a moment to decompress. I come to a stop when the noise of the party fades out to a gentle hum and sit myself down on a fallen tree. I place my heels on the forest floor and gingerly run my fingers over the mark on my neck where I feel its slightly raised outline. Just touching it relaxes me, and I can’t explain why. I look up through the canopy of the trees just as the clouds drift past allowing the light of the moon to shine down into the forest. Its soft rays of light beam down into the forest making it look like an ethereal land, not of this worl
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 70: A Deeper Understanding - Isolde
“That was a beautiful ceremony,” Makbule praises.“Thank you,” I smile, keeping my arm tightly around Valeria. I can feel how joyous she is about having restored and completed her bond, but her apprehension of being near an irshiust is starting to shine through, though I can’t say I blame her.“It’s been so long since we attended a marking ceremony, no matter how many we see, they continue to be a magical experience,” Müjde sighs dreamily.“I see not all of you came,” Valeria says sardonically.“As much as our sisters would have loved to attend, we can not all stop our duties for one gathering. There is still much going on in the world that needs our assistance, and our duty always comes first,” says Zehra.“So where were you when Izzy needed assistance? I mean, I understand being put on hold, but for centuries seems like overkill to me,” says Valeria flippantly. I stroke her side and place a gentle kiss on her temple, relishing the electricity once again ignited by our contact.“Val,
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 69: Marking Ceremony pt 2 - Isolde
۩ISOLDE۩ I’ve never been so sucked in, in all my life, and this is coming from someone who used to wear corsets as part of everyday wear. They weren’t as bad as people make them out to be, and they provided incredible back support. But there is no support in this dress. I’m afraid if I bend over my breasts will fall out of my dress, though Valeria might enjoy that, but maybe not in front of guests. I apply another coat of mascara and spray a little more hairspray over my hair and give myself a final assessment. This is the most dressed up I’ve been since my first date with Valeria, but it feels good knowing it’s for our marking ceremony. I wanted her jaw to drop, so I’ve chosen a strapless A-line dress with a sweetheart neckline and a slit up to my hip. The fabric is a metallic chiffon in a gorgeous gunmetal colour that gathers diagonally across my body. It looks like my body is coated in liquid metal. My hair is slicked back leaving my face and shoulders completely unobstructed, an
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 68: Marking Ceremony pt 1 - Valeria
This past week has been terrific for my self-esteem. Not that I needed a self-esteem boost, but it never hurts. Tweedledum has been our personal servant and I have loved every minute of it, especially since he couldn’t use his magic as much as he liked. Welcome to being a human! To his credit, he has done a fantastic job at preparing everything for our marking ceremony. I haven’t been allowed outside to see the final touches, and I’m dying to. I tried to peek out the window, but Arthwin magically removed the window entirely, which was a dick move. I’m finishing getting dressed in my old room while Izzy gets ready in our room. It’s nice that there are some human traditions that overlap, like me not being able to see Izzy before the ceremony. I can’t wait to see her, I know she’ll look stunning, but this is the longest we’ve been apart since her capture, and I don’t fucking like it. Izzy has been staying close, and I think it’s because she noticed that I still have pain from the reject
A Queen Among Darkness Chapter 67: Mending Bridges - Isolde
I couldn’t sleep a wink. One would think now that I have nothing to fear or worry about that I should be able to slip into the best night's sleep of my life. I suspect anyone who would think that has lived a very easy life. The fears that kept me up at night may be gone, but that defence inside me is still up. I spent all night watching Valeria sleep peacefully in my arms, terrified if I let my eyes close, I’d wake up only to find myself back in that cell awaiting my execution. I know everything is over and the truth is out there, and soon every makkari will know the truth, but it hasn’t sunk in as much as I thought it had. You don’t live in fear for two centuries and lose all those survival instincts in mere hours.It wasn’t so bad though. Watching Valeria sleep, knowing she’s safe in my arms helped relax me, while simultaneously filling me with guilt. She won’t tell me just how much pain she’s in from my rejection, not that I blame her. She puts on such a brave face and it’s eating
